CHENNAI: A Canada-based entrepreneur donated 25 tablet computers, worth Rs 2 lakh, to underprivileged children in a remote village in Tiruvallur district on Saturday. He donated the gadgets after seeing a story Express published, highlighting how the village’s first woman graduate was taking free tuition classes for underprivileged children in Thirukandalam village.
Express had highlighted how Roja, a 32-year-old graduate, was teaching girls to encourage them to pursue higher education. After the report was published, Tiruvallur Collector Dr Alby John visited the village.
Canada-based entrepreneur Vijay Sappani, who is currently in Chennai, visited Thirukandalam and handed over the devices to NGO Anbagam, from where the tuition classes are held. “Girls are the worst affected anywhere in the world, and we run a foundation to empower girls to receive higher education and gain equality in society. I saw this story and decided to donate what’s required for the students,” he told Express.
Sappani, who runs an international foundation to provide education support and scholarships to girls, said the students and teachers in Tirukandalam are doing a good job, and his foundation wants to support them. “Continuity in education is important. So, we donated 25 Lenovo tablets and also are going to donate books and computers later,” he said.
He added that the foundation would help get scholarships for girls pursuing higher education. “Girls going to college will break a lot of barriers and this will empower them. We will visit the village again and help them,” he said. Hemalatha Narasimhan, trustee of Anbagam, thanked Express. NGO founder and senior advocate Sudha Ramalingam also expressed her thanks to the entrepreneur.